Tom Postma Design has created two permanent exhibitions commissioned by the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam, Republic at Sea and Maps & Marvels, opened public last week. The exhibitions, created in close collaboration with the National Maritime Museum, respectively explore the narrative of Dutch maritime history and the historic impact of Dutch cartography on the world.
Tom Postma Design created an elegant backdrop that pays homage to the unique atmosphere of the historic building dating from 1656 and its surrounding, as well as fully servicing the narrative and the masterpieces on show.
The permanent exhibition Republic at Sea is located in the New Main Gallery in the North wing of the museum and explores the shaping of the Netherlands as a maritime nation. The exhibition tells the story of the Dutch Republic in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, highlighted by fifty masterpieces and objects that uncover this history. View lines throughout the exhibition reveal and celebrate the architectural features of the historic building, guiding visitors through the collection. The studio's design and distinct use of rich materials and colors for the walls, showcases and skirting hint towards the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and help to create a contemporary yet sumptuous atmosphere; an elegant backdrop in which the objects take center stage.
The design created for Maps & Marvels evokes a sense of continuous journey and discovery through time and place. The exhibition reveals how Dutch sailors explored the world and how these journeys influenced Europe's world view. The semi-transparent layering of exhibition space in the cartography section creates an intimate and striking atmosphere in front of which the collection of maps and objects appear to be floating in space. Adjoining is a contemporary Wunderkammer with eye-catching objects, discovered and collected during travels abroad.
Photography: Mark Niedermann